DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Innovation has always been the way to promote more efficient living. Inventions such as electric appliances, and microwave ovens have made our lives easier; Computers and facsimile machines have saved us time. Everywhere we turn technology has made our lives better.
The disclosed invention follows in these historic footsteps, and makes everyday life simpler. This invention makes the process of cleaning ones home more enjoyable.
The design of home vacuum cleaners have not changed much in the last 70 years. Some of the original designs, like the Royal Upright, have not changed much since the 1920's, and still outperforms many of the newer models.
Recently however, a major change has taken place in the vacuum cleaner market. The incorporation a vacuum hose along with an upright vacuum cleaner has spread throughout the market. This is no surprise since having a hose and its attachments at hand allows the user to easily switch from one mode of cleaning to another. No longer does one have to attach a clumsy cover over the beater bar opening to attach a hose.
This switch to multipurpose vacuum cleaners, however, has seen very little redesign of the nozzle attachments. The crevice, upholstery, and dust brush nozzles have not changed much since they were invented. A crevice tool is still a long narrow tube for getting into small openings like the space between seat cushions, while an upholstery tool is still designed with a long rectangular nozzle for cleaning a fabric surface quickly. And a brush tool is still a ring of bristles around a vacuum port for cleaning dust off of hard surfaces without scratching. These three tools have been the mainstay of the vacuum cleaner industry for decades. Only recently have people begun to combine these tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,294 to Simonsson on Aug. 25, 1987 shows a vacuum nozzle with two functions: a brush tool and an upholstery tool. The design is basically comprised of two separate tools which have been joined together. Each tool has its own nozzle port and its own cleaning duct.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,525 to Lofgren on Dec. 10, 1957, U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,311 to House on Oct. 29, 1963, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,894 to Fahlen on Feb. 6, 1990, combines a dust brush with an upholstery tool like Simonsson's device, but uses a single air passageway for both tools. With the use of folding arms these three devices convert the upholstery tool into a nozzle inlet. This arrangement saves space, and makes the tool very compact. Unfortunately, none of these tools have a way to clean sharp corners, edges, or crevices. One must use other nozzles to perform these cleaning tasks, a significant disadvantage.
Other devices such as, U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,720 to Ahlf on Jul. 17, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,406 to LaMonte on Mar. 26, 1985, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,529 to Choiniere on Sep. 22, 1987 combine different forms of crevice and upholstery tools. Choiniere's device does not even bother to seal one tool from the other, both are open to the same air flow. This two opening tool configuration reduces the effectiveness of both tools, making it practically useless except in very specific tasks. Ahlf's device is basically two tools joined together, each with its own air duct. The design has the aspiration of each tool selectively by actuating the suction hose respective to the nozzle. This feature makes it easier to use, but requires a valve flap and a flexible joint. Both of which make the tool more prone to failure and complicated. LaMonte's tool solves half the air direction problem with a sliding door, but the side mounted upholstery tool is extremely awkward for most items.
Our five-function vacuum cleaner nozzle provides a simple and highly functional tool that combines all 3 of the major vacuum nozzle tools, plus an added advantage of being convertible into a corner tool and an edge tool. No other vacuum cleaner nozzle combines so many functions. The user may clean upholstery, or crevices, or edges, or stair corners, or hard surfaces without having to returning to the vacuum cleaner to change tools. The problem of running back and forth to the vacuum cleaner has been solved.
Our vacuum nozzle has the added advantage of being extremely compact. It has the same number of parts and is approximately the same size and shape as Fahlen's invention, (a commercially successful two-function tool). The small size of our vacuum nozzle seems to defy the incredible increase in functionality over Fahlen's invention. Our five-function vacuum nozzle is compact enough to be placed right on the handle of the vacuum hose for immediate use.